The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-03
ELECTRIC WONDERS.
A VISIT TO THE POWER-ROOH or
THE q. p. RAILWAY.
A Wonderful and Complete Electric sys-
tem-Engines for Steam and Steam for
Electricity Of the Estab-
iishment-A Modern Promethsus.

The TINES reported short time ago
the first attempts TO run the electric cars.
A car has been successfully run over
about three fourths Of mile Of the track,
and the practicablity of the scheme has
been demonstrated to the satisfaction OF
the projectors Of it, though the public has
looked on with anxiety, appreciating the
immense benefit to Richmond of a sue
cess People have only seen men toiling
in the mud on the track and at times gro
tesque platform car moving up and down
connecting the wires
But glance into the interior of the
Power works on Seventh street unfolds
volume and makes the beholder wonder
IL there is anything that electricity can
not do, instead of doubling that Mr.. Ed
ison can fulfill his promises.
FURNACES.
Turning to the right the superintend-
ent ushered the TINES representative
into the furnace room, which is furnished
with three Jeryis furnaces and boilers
that make the steam to run the engines.
There is space for three more of the same
pattern. The interesting feature Oft these
engines Is that perfect combustion is pro-
duced by process Of intensifying the heat
from the fire which is separate from the
heat chambers. BY this process one half
of the cost OF fuel is saved. In this
apartment as i'm all the others the whole
equipments and furniture are not only
clean, but elegant in appearance. The
dynamo room is as elegant in finish as a
drawing room, and necessarily kept per-
fectly free from dust. There are three
Arlington & Semmes' engines Of beauti-
ful pattern so admirably adjusted that
when at work there is not tremOr or
shake In the machine. On the opposite
side Of the apartment are the Edison
dynamOs. Each one occupies a space Of
about by feet on the floor and 4 feet
in height.
DYSAMOs
OF the intricate but much interesting
mechanism It would be useless to attempt
description. Upon crossing to that side
Of the hall superintendent Burt politely
requests the favor of your watch, and Lieu
tenant Greene, the chief electrician. smil-
ingly adds that it is only for safe keeping,
as the vicinity 10 the dynamos would
cause it to stop. All that q casual OBJ
server would see is cylinder apparently
cOmpacted Of rolls OF cotton cloth
which revolves at lightning speed in
front of two upright pillars of black iron
which represent respectively the positive
and negative poles. Within this cloth
bound cylinder are the layers Of wire,
and above is a coil abeut eg teen inches
in diameter and equally high.
a. l.fsl Lob. In
which an oblong circle of electricity makes
q binding light. Along the wall two cop
per bars extend which receive the cur
rents, and convey them TO the street, and
on these are a system Of indicators and
registers that show exactly the power OF
the current and the amount of electricity
generated. A touch on these regulating
instruments controls the amount OF
electricity generated or the strength Of
the current passing out In any direction.
ENcHAsTaENT.
In viewing these wonderful and intri-
cate contriyances one is fascinated as
with some tale of enchantment. "The
power" says the superintendent, gen
Grated ere is conveyed In whatever
amount we chose to the station on Twen-
ty-ninth and streets, and from there
distributed to each cal"
with the same precision" said Mr..
Greene, "as we can use here In the con-
troll of the current Look at the third
dynamo" And touching the indicator with
the tip of his finger the sparks grew faint,
then almost expired, and again resumed
their brilliancy.
Then, the only difficulty" said the
TINES, "in the way Is simply one
OF mechanical construction in con-
yeying the current from the wire
along the street to the running
carr"
"Of course. II You ever saw New
England water telegraph, by which
bucket rolls along a wire down to the
spring and back, you can see how easy
the wire connecting the car can run on
the stationary wire"
THE curious thing is that so many peo
pie will only believe what they see. When
German student long ago ran mile OF
wire around his room and showed that a
signal could be transmitted by the old
flag-telegraph alphabet on that wire peo-
pie generally thought he was crank
vet that was the modern Pro
metheus who caught the lightning.
and showed the way 10 use II.
But he never dreamed of what It would
come to, and perhaps we do not form
any idea OF what will yet be done with II"